Arsenal appeared to make a breakthrough in their pursuit of a striker on Sunday when it was reported that they had advanced talks with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.
The Gunners have been keen to strengthen in the final third after finishing without silverware once again last season and identified Gyokeres, 27, and RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko as two of their top targets.
A potential deal for Gyokeres – which would see him swap Lisbon for London – could be worth up to £70million.
Talks have taken place over the structure of achievable bonus payments on the fee with Gyokeres having already agreed personal terms on a five year contract.
They came following interest in Sesko from Mikel Arteta’s side – which appeared to hit a stumbling block.
Now, it can be revealed why Arsenal opted for Gyokeres instead of Sesko as they chase a first Premier League title in over 20 years.
According to Portuguese outlet Record, Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta have ‘definitively abandoned’ a deal for the latter.
The publication claims that Leipzig demanded a fee of €80million for the player, while Arsenal only offered €70million.
The report also says that the Bundesliga side wanted €40million of that fee paid up front – a figure deemed too hefty for the north Londoners’ liking.
Arsenal then pivoted to Gyokeres after personal terms with Sesko allegedly reached an ‘impasse’, with Arteta seemingly impatient for a striker to arrive before his team’s pre-season friendlies begin.
But the Gunners’ pursuit of Gyokeres is not yet finalised, as there still said to be differences in how the transfer is paid.
Arsenal are reportedly keen to offer a fee of €65million plus a further €15million in add-ons while Sporting’s club president Frederico Varandas wants Frederico Varandas €70million before add-ons are taken into account.
The news of Gyokeres’ potential move to north London comes after Arsenal confirmed their first big signing of the summer in Martin Zubimendi.
Zubimendi, 26, has signed a five-year deal with the Gunners, who were able to beat Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City to his signature.
The Spanish international has long been courted by Mikel Arteta’s side, who have now finally managed to land one of their key targets.
Arsenal confirmed the signing of Zubimendi in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday afternoon, adding that he will wear the number 36 shirt.
The Spaniard made 180 appearances in LaLiga for Real Sociedad after coming through their academy setup and has 18 caps for the Spanish national team.
While MailSport exclusively revealed in January that Arsenal had landed Zubimendi, the LaLiga side did not want to lose such a key player in the middle of the season.
